The Gymnast (2006)

Admirable film.

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Sounds pretty good? Mmmm, maybe not."The Gymnast" is, fundamentally, a story of a woman's journey to self. Soon it becomes apparent that the film misses its potential and falls into the Lifetime Movie of the Week genre. Like many others of the breed, it has comfortable elements: the self-involved/disinterested husband; the gregarious shoot-from-the-hip best friend; the not-quite out of the closet beautiful lesbian. If you don't expect it to be more than this, the film delivers. Performances are gentle and non-confrontational, the music soothing and sentimental (though on occasion a bit intrusive, another generic pitfall), the cinematography sensual and flattering. One cannot escape the beauty of the the athleticism and this is where the film captivates. For those who dreaded P.E. class, watching the fusion of pure artistry and physical prowess is an enchanting view of a world both alien and fascinating, like watching breathtakingly beautiful sculptures come to life and fly about the heavens.(Here be spoilers.)Where it may lose you is where it should be at its best: the plot. Holes, gaps and downright lapses may cause verbal outbursts in some viewers. The deus ex machina removal of the third member of the ensemble; the downright gratuitous cell phone photo; the best friend gets drunk and says too much to the one person who can make the dream come true moments just show where the screenwriter falls into banal contrivance. Most blatant is the unbelievable 180 degree turnaround of the husband, with no authentic moment of revelation that would inspire his behavior, This flip of the switch to add dramatic conflict is a narrative belly flop.Make no mistake, there are moments of genuine delight in this story. A trip to Koreatown showcases the chemistry that clearly exists between the two leads and is unique in that it focuses on their cultural differences rather than sexual ones. The truth behind many a woman's late night soak in the tub has not been told this artfully before. The coming out to the parents moment is unmistakably truthful. And as many have stated, the credit sequence is a gratifying dismount.But those flashes of gratification are not enough to add up to a wholly satisfying film, particularly if you are a looking for the next "Desert Hearts". For a gay audience, it misses opportunities and clearly avoids others that allow the best of the straight woman/gay-themed films to remain memorable long after viewing. The elements that began with "Personal Best" and made "Desert Hearts" iconic films and move the genre forward are so clearly missing here that it is, at times, a little heartbreaking. But it is just those missing essentials that are the very things which will allow "The Gymnast" to play in heavy rotation on Logo and be added to the Netfilx queue because without them the film won't ruffle anyone's feathers. To a gay viewer, these omissions stand out like a pierced nipple.

Reading the other user comments, the review by A666333 has articulated most of what I was feeling throughout this film- predictable storyline, cliché versions of lesbians/heterosexuals (i.e. straight woman becomes a lesbian while concluding that her husband is abusive and aggressive). Also, the score was severely disappointing. It was bland, soft, sentimental elevator music- another common cliché in movies about lesbians. The movie would have had a few interesting dramatic moments if they had not been destroyed by the music.A few scenes concerning sex and eroticism also struck me as attempts to titillate and raise shock value, including parts of the final performance scene. The conventional "hot and steamy" moments were as boring as the overly sentimental score. For example during the pool scene, the women are kissing, and then the camera pans along the abandoned wine glass, the flowing water, the sound of their heavy breathing over the soft crashing of waves.The only elements I liked were the costuming and arobatics. They are well-choreographed, and the development of attraction between the two characters felt very natural during the training scenes. I genuinely smiled during those, and during the last scene with the police officer. But they were not enough to balance out the negatives or make me enjoy this film.

I just saw this film in Austin Texas at the Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and it was my festival favorite. The gymnast is a film NOT to be missed. It is an honest "coming to terms" story about relationships, self discovery , growing older and having the courage to change and move forward. Not only is this a good story but the glorious aerialist performances by Dreya Weber and Addie Yungmee will take your breath away! See this film! It will be coming soon to a festival near you. This film deserved to be picked up right away by a major network or studio. I will certainly purchase this when it becomes available on DVD.

Now maybe it had something to do with the fact that I saw this movie at a low point in my life, when I was really trying to figure out where I was going and what I needed to make myself happy, but this film really spoke to me. Jane is an everywoman: although she has so many positive things going for her, she is still vulnerable and unhappy in her life. She is strong and intelligent, but she was cheated out of achieving her potential by an unfortunate accident and is living a second-choice life. She seeks out new challenges and happiness, seeking desperately to fill the hole in her heart. Dreya Weber is an exquisite Jane. As we journey with her we feel the depth of her despair, the torture of her desperation and, eventually, the strength of her conviction. The beautiful Addie Yungmee is also very well cast and an asset to the production. Allison Mackie is a scene stealer as a saucy character with impeccable timing. I highly recommend this film; although it's low budget, it has big budget writing and production values. PS- great aerial scenes with two beautiful sexy women. Women will love the story and characters, but there's something for the men here, too. :)